LAFAYETTE — While the rest of Jared Nault's Lafayette Jeff teammates celebrated on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Ross-Ade Stadium one year ago, he watched from the sideline in devastation.

Just a few plays before the final snap of a 49-39 victory over Harrison, Nault, Jeff's bulky but freakishly quick defensive lineman, burst through the Raider line before breaking down to make a tackle in the backfield when he was blindsided by a block that dropped him to the ground.

"It felt like I was stabbed hundreds of times all throughout my knee," Nault recalled.

The diagnosis came via phone call six days later from Dr. Robert Hagen and confirmed Nault's worst thoughts.

He'd torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Football season, for Nault, was over.

"I was real upset," Nault said. "I said, 'Are you sure?'"

Hagen most certainly was, so Nault did the only thing he could do.

He showed up later that day, when Lafayette Jeff was traveling to Kokomo, and cried as he told his coaches the news.

The injury took Nault's junior season, but not his spirit, however.

"You could see on film against Kokomo, he is leading the charge in celebrations on the sideline. You can see the crutches up in the air," Bronchos coach Pat Shanley said. "The following Saturday morning, he is the first guy at film. He beats everybody else here the day after he finds out he tore his ACL. That kind of speaks to his character."

So does this.

Nault worked tirelessly to not only return to the gridiron, but to be better than he was when he got hurt.

In May, all the players tested out and Nault, at 6-foot-4 and weighing 248 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.88 seconds, power cleaned 295 pounds and had a 30-inch vertical eight months after tearing his ACL.

"He is a freak," Shanley said. "He can bend, he can move, he can run, he can jump and he's 6-4 and 248 pounds."

And now having shifted to defensive end this season, he is a cornerstone piece of a first-team defensive unit allowing less than two yards per carry.

"He is definitely a monster," said sophomore offensive tackle Colton Lehnen, who is tasked with having to block Nault in practice. "He is like 6-3, 250 with super long arms, super strong and super fast, He's everything you could ask for."

On Friday night, Nault will take the field in Lafayette Jeff's home opener.

The opponent is the Harrison Raiders, the same team Nault played against in the final game of his junior season before watching the Bronchos finish off a North Central Conference championship run with him on the sidelines.

"I am really looking forward to this Friday," said Nault, who has already surpassed his four-game totals of a year ago after shifting from the interior to defensive end with 12 tackles, including four for loss and a sack. "I feel a little timid or anxious, but I am sure anyone would. It's the one-year anniversary since I tore it.

"I am ready to take on the challenge this Friday and show that you can overcome anything if you believe in yourself."

Sam King covers high school sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter @samueltking.

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The Bronchos' (2-1) Tippecanoe County gauntlet continues as they open their home schedule against Harrison (1-2), which is coming off an inspiring victory over Logansport in last week's North Central Conference opener. Jeff defeated Harrison 49-39 in Ross-Ade Stadium last season, part of its current 11-game NCC winning streak. The two teams have split the last four meetings, including a high-scoring 54-50 Jeff win in 2015.

Coach Shanley's take: "They are well coached. One thing that stands out to me on film is they play extremely hard. This game is a big deal to them and it’s a big deal to us. The winner puts themselves in the driver’s seat on this side of the conference. Last time they came over here, they kicked our butts, so we’ve got our work cut out for us."

Player's take: "We’ve got to bust our butts in practice every day because the main goal is to win a sectional and win a state championship. We’re working hard to get better every week. We’re not just focusing on that opponent for the week, but we’re focusing on ourselves getting better as a football team." — Colton Lehnen, offensive tackle